Trump says his G-7 summit departure not linked to any Israel-Iran ceasefire offer

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump late on June 16 said his early departure from the Group of Seven (G-7) nations summit has "nothing to do with" working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Mr Trump made a ceasefire proposal.

Mr Macron “mistakenly said that I left the G-7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to DC to work on a ‘ceasefire’ between Israel and Iran”, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he left the G-7 summit in Canada to return to Washington.

"Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that," Mr Trump added in the post.

Mr Macron said earlier on June 16 that Mr Trump had made an offer for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

"There is indeed an offer to meet and exchange. An offer was made especially to get a ceasefire and to then kick-start broader discussions," Mr Macron told reporters at the G-7.

Mr Trump left the G-7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington due to the Middle East situation.

In his Truth Social post, the US president called Mr Macron a "publicity-seeking" leader and added: "Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong."

The French Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment outside work hours.

The

air war between Iran and US ally Israel

– which began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran with air strikes – has raised alarms in a region that had already been on edge since the start of Israel's military assault on Gaza in October 2023.

Since the Israeli strikes on June 13, the two Middle Eastern rivals have exchanged blows, with Iranian officials reporting more than 220 deaths, mostly civilians, while Israel said 24 civilians were killed.

Israel, the US and other Western nations have long sought to pressure Iran to curb its nuclear weapons development.

Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has said it has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons.

Washington said Mr Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran. REUTERS